Cindy Kay sitting in a green armchair, holding a green latte in a mug, in a cozy indoor setting near a window.

Hi, I’m Cindy Kay.

I’m an audiobook narrator trusted by publishers to handle complex projects with precision, emotional depth, and seamless delivery.

This is my story in 4 chapters.

CHAPTER I

Originally from the Bay Area in Northern California,

my path to audiobook narration unfolded through a deep love of literature.

An open book resting on a closed book, with blurry white flowers in the foreground.
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at sunset with cars crossing.
A young girl with pigtails and a patterned dress standing in front of a large coin. The coin features a portrait of a person with a smile.
Open book with delicate dried flowers resting on its pages, placed on a window sill with a blurred outdoor background.
A young girl with pigtails wearing a red and white dress, smiling outdoors behind a glass window.
View of downtown San Francisco skyline with the Salesforce Tower in the background, including other high-rise buildings and a tree silhouette in the foreground.

I earned my PhD in Comparative Literature at Purdue.

That training taught me how to zoom in to individual stories while seeing them within the larger context of language, culture, and history.

After completing my doctorate, I spent over 12 years as a university professor, still surrounded by books, but not yet fully inside them.

The entrance to Purdue University with a metal archway that reads 'Purdue University,' flanked by stone columns, on a sunny day with a clear blue sky.
Cindy Kay in graduation cap and gown holding a diploma, standing outdoors near a brick and concrete sign that reads 'PURD', with trees, grass, and a brick building in the background.
Cindy Kay wearing traditional Indian attire with gold jewelry smiling, with a poster showing musical instruments and objects in the background.

During that time, I discovered audiobooks

at my local library and couldn’t stop listening. Around the same period, I volunteered to read aloud to children who learn best through listening, including kids with ADHD and autism.

When someone said to me, “You know you can get paid for this, right?” everything clicked.

Multiple shelves filled with books in a library, labeled with letter and number codes.
Historic brick courthouse building with red roof, flagpoles, and statue in front, set against mountainous landscape under partly cloudy sky.
Four young children sitting attentively in a classroom with a white wall decorated with animal silhouettes and a quote bubble.
Cindy Kay with long dark hair smiling at the camera in a room with a beige wall and some small sockets or fixtures on the ceiling.
A modern office building with multiple floors, surrounded by trees with fall foliage, beside a water body with mountains in the background under a clear blue sky.

The audiobooks I loved consuming were exactly what I was meant to create.

I trained deeply, let go of the “shoulds”, and found a place where immersion and expression meet.

A space where stories move beyond the page and into the ears of listeners around the world.

A close-up view of several open books with pages fanned out, arranged in a grid pattern, creating a textured background.
Cindy Kay wearing glasses and headphones in a recording studio, with soundproofing foam on the walls.
Microphone in front of audio editing software display on an Apple computer.
Cindy Kay with glasses and long dark hair holding two awards from AudioFile, smiling.

CHAPTER II

Cindy Kay sitting on steps, smiling, wearing a velvet top and gold earrings.

Since 2019,

I’ve narrated over 450 audiobooks and worked with publishers including Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Tantor, Recorded Books, and Blackstone.

A black and white promotional image for Penguin Random House, featuring the Penguin logo on the left and a typewriter illustration in the center, with various media company logos at the bottom.

PUBLISHERS & PARTNERS

MY CREATIVE PROCESS

Clients come to me for a smooth audiobook process that takes projects off their plate and moves them forward with peace of mind.

STEP 1:

I prepare every book as both a reader and a listener, studying the full arc before diving into character, emotion, and pacing.

Cindy Kay with dark, wavy hair smiling and sitting at a table in a cozy coffee shop, with an open book and a cup of coffee in front of her.

STEP 2:

Then when I step into the booth, I let the story take over. One project might involve running toward freedom, another traveling between galaxies, another trying desperately not to fall in love. Each character asks for something different so I meet them where they are.

Close-up of Cindy Kay with dark hair, lying on her side with her head resting on her hand, wearing a green long-sleeved top, looking at the camera with a slight smile.

STEP 3:

Finally, I deliver the fully-finished audiobook where authors hear their story come alive. Weeks, months, or years later, I still hear from listeners about its impact; It’s storytelling as time travel, and it’s one of the great joys of what I do.

Cindy Kay with long dark hair sitting on a modern wicker chair with a white cushion against a light brick wall, smiling and resting her chin on her hand.

My work has been recognized with an Audie Award in Romance for Christina Lauren’s The Love Experiment, six Earphones awards, and numerous positive reviews in a variety of publications, including AudioFile magazine and ALA.

AWARDS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Various awards and recognitions related to audio technology, including the 2024 Audie Winner, an audio publisher award, and an exceptional audio earphone award, displayed on a black background.

CHAPTER III

When I step into my custom booth with my microphone, the space transforms into a storytelling portal I enter the moment I press record.

My background in comparative literature shapes how I work. My goal is to honor every line as the author intended. As I always say,

“showing up for the character honestly and earnestly is the work.”

That mindset allows me to approach every genre the same way: grounded, present, and emotionally true. I don’t perform the story. I inhabit it.

AUTHORS & TITLES

Mystery/Thriller: LARA BAZELON - A Good Mother • DANIEL R. POTTER – Emergency Shift • JONELLE PATRICK - The Last Tea Bowl Thief • JODY GEHRMAN - The Protégé • CHUCK WENDIG - Black River Orchard • MARTA ACOSTA – The Dog Thief • AKIRA OTANI - The Night of Baba Yaga • KIERAN SCOTT – People Will Talk • ANIA AHLBORN – Palmetto • MEG SMITHERMAN – Thrum • MAILAN DOQUANG – Ceylon Sapphires • JODIE BAILEY – Tracing Killer Evidence • JON WYNN – The Set Up • VIVIEN CHIEN – Wonton Terror • LYNETTE EASON – Deadly Christmas Trap • SARAH VARLAND – Hunting a Killer • TYLER ANNE SNELL – Toxin Alert • KATE WHITE - The Fiancée • MICHAEL KORYTA - When a Stranger Comes to Town • MINK – Shinjuku  Literary Fiction: YIYUN LI - A Thousand Years of Good Prayers • CLARISSA GOENAWAN - The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida • VANESSA HUA - Deceit and Other Possibilities • KIKUKO TSUMURA - There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job • DURIAN SUKEGAWA - Sweet Bean Paste • JAMIE FORD - The Many Daughters of Afong Moy • KATY SIMPSON SMITH – The Weeds • MIRINAE LEE - 8 Lives of a Centuries-Old Trickster • GAIL TSUKIYAMA – The Brightest Star • THAO THAI – Banyan Moon • SCOTT ALEXANDER HOWARD – The Other Valley • BOTHAYNA AL-ESSA - The Book Censor’s Library • SU CHANG - The Immortal Woman • NAOMI XU ELEGANT – Ginko Season • ZHANG YUERAN – Women, Seated • HIKA HARADA - Dinner at the Night Library • HA JIN - Looking for Tank Man • YOKO TAWADA -  Scattered All Over the Earth • CHEON MYEONG-KWAN – Whale • HIROMI KAWAKAMI - The Ten Loves of Nishino YA: LOIS SEPAHBAN – Paper Wishes • LORI M. LEE – Forest of Souls • CHLOE GONG – These Violent Delights • ZOE HANA MIKUTA – Gearbreakers • BETTY G. YEE – Gold Mountain • RISS M. NEILSON - Deep in Providence • GLORIA L. HUANG - Kaya of the Ocean • EUNICE CHAN - This Side of Falling • XIXI TIAN - This Place is Still Beautiful • CATHERINE YU – Direwood • VARIOUS AUTHORS - The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie • JENNIE LIU - The Red Car to Hollywood • SELINA LI BI - Sunlight Playing Over a Mountain • MINEKO IWASAKI - Geisha, A Life • SUMI HAHN - The Mermaid from Jeju • XIAOLU GUO - A Lover’s Discourse • SHEA ERNSHAW - A History of Wild Places • SIENA STERLING - Tell Us No Secrets • JENNIFER BRODY - A Sacrifice of Blood & Stars • MARTHA ROO - Eamon Romance: ALISON COCHRUN – Every Step She Takes • LAUREN HO - Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic • EMILY HASHIMOTO – A World Between • ANA HUANG – Twisted Love • DEVNEY PERRY – Garnet Flats • JAYCI LEE – Booked on a Feeling • TJ O’SHEA – Beyond the Blue • CHRISTINA LAUREN – The True Love Experiment • MAGGIE MILLER – The Island • SHARON M. PETERSON – The Fake Out • JENNIFER CHEN – Artifacts of an Ex • NICOLE MEIER – City of Books • PIPER J. DRAKE - Wings Once Cursed & Bound • SAMANTHA SOTTO YAMBAO – Water Moon • JACKIE LAU - Time Loops & Meet Cutes • NEELY TUBATI ALEXANDER – Courtroom Drama • SARAH ECHAVARRE SMITH - Much Ado About Hating You • JACCI TURNER – Love Virus • LEAH BUSBOOM - Cinnamon and Spice Conundrum • TASH SKILTON - Ghosting Children’s: JULIE LEE – Brother’s Keeper • JAMIE SUMNER – Tune It Out • KENNETH C. DAVIS – Strongman • KAT ZHANG – Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao • CHRISTINA SOONTORNVAT – A Life of Service: The Story of Senator Tammy Duckworth • KELLY YANG – Finally Seen • KYO MACLEAR – If You Were a City • LISA YEE – A Royal Conundrum • TANG WEI – Grandma’s Roof Garden • CAT MIN - The Shadow & The Ghost • CHRISTINA SOONTORNVAT - Snow Place Like Home • HANNAH CHUNG - The Most Perfect Persimmon • KIRSTEN PENDREIGH - When A Tree Falls • JULIE LEUNG - A Banquet for Cecilia • TAE KELLER - We Carry the Sun • VIVIAN JUN KIRKLIN - Who is Vera Wang? • MARILYN HILTON - Full Cicada Moon • DEBBIE DADEY - A Whale of a Tale • GLORIA WHELEN - Goodbye, Vietnam • JAMIE SUMNER - Glory Be Nonfiction: LIBBY COPELAND – The Lost Family • GRACE M. CHO – Tastes Like War • VICTORIA KASTNER - Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography • NATALIE HODGES – Uncommon Measure • CATHERINE CENIZA CHOY - Asian American Histories of the United States • MARILYN CHASE - Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa • KATY KELLEHER - The Ugly History of Beautiful Things • CHRISTINE YU – Up to Speed • LAURA TILLMAN - The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo García • ARIELLE GREENBERG – Superfreaks • MAUREEN SEABERG - Fearfully and Wonderfully Made • DR. FEI-FEI LI – The Worlds I See • ROSANNA XIA - California Against the Sea • XANDRIA OOI – Be Happy Always • PIA JUSTESEN – From the Periphery • KIM DAVIDSON JONES - The No-Nonsense Home Organization Plan • CHRISTINE GROSS-LOH – Parenting Without Borders • KIYO SATO – Kiyo’s Story • GLENN MOREY AND JULIE MOREY – Given Away • CHANDRA CRANE – Mixed Blessing Scifi/Fantasy: MAX GLADSTONE -  The Ruin of Angels • KEN LIU - The Hidden Girl and Other Stories • NGHI VO - The Empress of Salt and Fortune • RYKA AOKI - Light from Uncommon Stars • KESHE CHOW - The Girl with No Reflection • COREENE CALLAHAN - The House of Starlight and Shadow • YIMING MA - These Memories Do Not Belong to Us • REBECCA CHASTAIN - Headlines & Hydras • WU MING-YI - The Man with the Compound Eyes • NORMAN HINSDALE PITMAN - A Chinese Wonder Book • YAN LEISHENG – The Ming Storm • APOLLOS THORNE – Prodigies • LANA PECHERCZYK - A Labyrinth of Fangs and Thorns • KYLIE CHAN – White Tiger • DAN WELLS – Stargazer • HA SEONG-NAN – Flowers of Mold • STARLA NIGHT – Sithe • LAURA POHL – The Grimrose Girls • AMIE KAUFMAN & MEAGAN SPOONER - Beyond the End of the World • R.A. SINN - A Second Chance for Yesterday Spicy: LEIGH RIVERS – Voracious • LAUREN BIEL – Along for the Ride • L.E. ELDRIDGE - A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Married • LEIGH RIVERS – Psychotic Obsession • NICOLE FOX - Liar’s Lullaby • NIKKI ST. CROWE – Devour the Dark • LEIGH RIVERS – Insatiable • LILIAN MONROE - Royally Unexpected • LONDYN LENZ - A Billionaire’s Weakness • LANI LYNN VALE – Time to Bounce • NICOLE FOX - Sinner’s Lullaby • MJ FIELDS - The Second Shot K.O.K. • LANI LYNN VALE – Clown Motel • LILIAN MONROE – Heartless Prince • KE OSBORN - Fateful Hearts • AVERY FLYNN - Killer Seduction • LILIAN MONROE – Cruel Prince • ELIANA SALOME - Dirty Possession • KATE PEARCE - The Power of Persuasion • LILIAN MONROE – Bad Prince

CHAPTER IV

Close-up of Cindy Kay with black hair, gold earrings, and wearing a gray striped top.

Whether working with publishers on tight timelines under high pressure or over many weeks with indie authors on bespoke productions,

I move projects forward with calm, reliable momentum.

I believe every story

deserves to be carried beyond the page and into the hearts of those who hear it offering moments of calm, escape, and connection through sound. 

Blurred image of a man and woman holding hands, with the woman leaning back and the man pulling her forward against a plain background.
Blurred image of a woman in a white skirt and dark shoes walking past a moving train at a subway station with wooden ceiling panels.
Person with an orange backpack standing on a rocky terrain, overlooking a glacier or ice field with snow-covered mountains in the background.
A young boy with a big smile playing in a ball pit filled with colorful plastic balls at an indoor play area.
A woman with a happy expression leans out of a car window during sunset, extending her hand.
Blurred image of a city street or sidewalk at night, with a person holding an umbrella walking in the distance, illuminated by colorful lights reflecting on the wet pavement.
Silhouette of a person standing on a dark hilltop at night, aiming a flashlight towards the starry sky with streaks of light and purple hues.

If you’re ready to bring your story into the ears of listeners, I’d love to help. 

LET'S GET STARTED